Proverbs 14
1 Every wise woman hath builded her house, And the foolish with her hands breaketh it down.
Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
2 Whoso is walking in his uprightness is fearing Jehovah, And the perverted [in] his ways is despising Him.
He who walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but the one who is devious in his ways despises Him.
3 In the mouth of a fool [is] a rod of pride, And the lips of the wise preserve them.
The proud speech of a fool brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.
4 Without oxen a stall [is] clean, And great [is] the increase by the power of the ox.
Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but an abundant harvest comes through the strength of the ox.
5 A faithful witness lieth not, And a false witness breatheth out lies.
An honest witness does not deceive, but a dishonest witness pours forth lies.
6 A scorner hath sought wisdom, and it is not, And knowledge to the intelligent [is] easy.
A mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.
7 Go from before a foolish man, Or thou hast not known the lips of knowledge.
Stay away from a foolish man; you will gain no knowledge from his speech.
8 The wisdom of the prudent [is] to understand his way, And the folly of fools [is] deceit.
The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them.
9 Fools mock at a guilt-offering, And among the upright — a pleasing thing.
Fools mock the making of amends, but goodwill is found among the upright.
10 The heart knoweth its own bitterness, And with its joy a stranger doth not intermeddle.
The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares in its joy.
11 The house of the wicked is destroyed, And the tent of the upright flourisheth.
The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way — right before a man, And its latter end [are] ways of death.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
13 Even in laughter is the heart pained, And the latter end of joy [is] affliction.
Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in sorrow.
14 From his ways is the backslider in heart filled, And a good man — from his fruits.
The backslider in heart receives the fill of his own ways, but a good man is rewarded for his ways.
15 The simple giveth credence to everything, And the prudent attendeth to his step.
The simple man believes every word, but the prudent man watches his steps.
16 The wise is fearing and turning from evil, And a fool is transgressing and is confident.
A wise man fears and turns from evil, but a fool is careless and reckless.
17 Whoso is short of temper doth folly, And a man of wicked devices is hated.
A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a devious man is hated.
18 The simple have inherited folly, And the prudent are crowned [with] knowledge.
The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil have bowed down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
The evil bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 Even of his neighbour is the poor hated, And those loving the rich [are] many.
The poor man is hated even by his neighbor, but many are those who love the rich.
21 Whoso is despising his neighbour sinneth, Whoso is favouring the humble, O his happiness.
He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who shows kindness to the poor.
22 Do not they err who are devising evil? And kindness and truth [are] to those devising good,
Do not those who contrive evil go astray? But those who plan goodness find loving devotion and faithfulness.
23 In all labour there is advantage, And a thing of the lips [is] only to want.
There is profit in all labor, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth, The folly of fools [is] folly.
The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the effort of fools is folly.
25 A true witness is delivering souls, And a deceitful one breatheth out lies.
A truthful witness saves lives, but one who utters lies is deceitful.
26 In the fear of Jehovah [is] strong confidence, And to His sons there is a refuge.
He who fears the LORD is secure in confidence, and his children shall have a place of refuge.
27 The fear of Jehovah [is] a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
28 In the multitude of a people [is] the honour of a king, And in lack of people the ruin of a prince.
A large population is a king’s splendor, but a lack of subjects is a prince’s ruin.
29 Whoso is slow to anger [is] of great understanding, And whoso is short in temper is exalting folly.
A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man promotes folly.
30 A healed heart [is] life to the flesh, And rottenness to the bones [is] envy.
A tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
31 An oppressor of the poor reproacheth his Maker, And whoso is honouring Him Is favouring the needy.
Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.
32 In his wickedness is the wicked driven away, And trustful in his death [is] the righteous.
The wicked man is thrown down by his own sin, but the righteous man has a refuge even in death.
33 In the heart of the intelligent wisdom doth rest. And in the midst of fools it is known.
Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning; even among fools she is known.
34 Righteousness exalteth a nation, And the goodliness of peoples [is] a sin-offering.
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
35 The favour of a king [is] to a wise servant, And an object of his wrath is one causing shame!
A king delights in a wise servant, but his anger falls on the shameful.
